Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

31 reviews

karapillar's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Medical content, Body horror, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

cover2covertx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Blood, and Torture

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

camiclarkbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Very reminiscent of “For the Throne,” but not quite as well executed. 

The magic system is so unique and Gillig did a great job with her world building. The characters use “trees” as a curse word, which was such a fun touch for a fantasy world with a cursed forest. 

I like a vulnerable heroine, one whose strength evolves over the series, but I was really unimpressed by Elspeth.

She was constantly complaining about the Nightmare in her head (valid), but at the first whiff of trouble she was screaming for his help. And then went right back to whining about him. It could have just been the voice the narrator chose to use for Elspeth, but she was just an endlessly whiny baby.

Gillig’s debut definitely had promise—the world was interesting and grounded, the magic system was interesting, and the plot was great. But her characters (her many, many main characters) were so flat that it ultimately fell short in my eyes. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Blood, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness

kbz_22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just finished "One Dark Window" by Rachel Gillig, and holy smokes, it's a 5/5 for me. Went in blind, knew nada about it, and came out thrilled.

This book, it's dark and tense in all the right ways. Every turn of the page had me craving more, uncovering layers of suspense that kept me hooked till the end.

Now, you'd think with a title like "One Dark Window," it's all gloom and doom, right? Well, surprise! Elspeth and her misfit gang of friends are lovable in this twisted and dark way. Despite the threatening atmosphere, the author somehow makes you care deeply for them. It's a wild ride of emotions, and I'm here for it. If you're into dark and thrilling reads with unexpectedly endearing characters, this one's a winner. Can't recommend it enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Murder, and Death of parent

tays_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Abandonment, Child death, Self harm, Cursing, Murder, Vomit, and Death of parent

Minor: Torture, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this book. It pulled me in very quickly to the world and the story, and I liked how dark and unique it is. The magic isn't like magic systems I've encountered before. This was the second card magic book I've read and I'm learning that's a magic I quite enjoy! The addition of the folklore and stories was fantastic. And the characters? I love them. All of them. They are morally grey and complex and interesting. I cannot wait to read the sequel with that ending!!! Some very good twists.

Definitely recommend for people who like darker fantasy with interesting magic and some romance. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Death

Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Sexual content

naomi_k's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Torture, Terminal illness, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Sexism

eviethebookworm's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Elspeth is a haunted character being played by forces out of her control in this dark and gothic novel. 
There’s fake courtship, there’s forbidden magic, and there’s twisting lore. Rachel Gillig has been able to balance the morbid and eerie with bursts of emotion that bring characters to life on the page. Also, there’s a grumpy 500-year-old monster in the mix. What’s not to love? 

If you enjoy authors like V. E. Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic), Vanessa Len (Only a Monster), and Kristin Cashore (Graceling), you’ve found a new name to add to the collection of favourites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

atomicrobin's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Blood, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent